Animated advertising device



Oct. 27, 193.6.

w. F. cURRlE 2,058,417

ANIMATED ADVERTISING DEVICE Filed July 25, 1936 Patented Oc't. 27, 193

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ANIMATED ADVERTISING DEVICE Illinois Application Juli7 25, 1936,-Se`rial No.792,680V

8 Claims.

This invention relates to an improved animated advertising device particularly adapted for use in public passenger vehicles, such as trains, street cars and busses, and which is designed to be actuated by the motion or vibration of the vehicle.

An object of this invention is to provide a means for lending animation to the usual advertising card which is customarily mounted against the interior side walls of a vehicle adjacent'the top thereof, and may be readily applied to a completed sign already in use, so that the sign may be used with or without my device.

A further object of my invention is toV provide an animated sign wherein the moving portion may be secured to the background in a fixed relation to it, and will rotate in an arc on a iixed axis, and which will not become displaced out of its desired or predetermined position in relation to the background.

Advertising cards for use in the interior of vehicles, to which this invention relates in particular, are usually mountedin a series adjacent the upper portion of the vehicle, and many of such vehicles are so constructed that their sides curve inwardly to' meet the ceiling, so that the cards are mounted on a concave surface. An object of this invention is to provide a means for spacing the moving portion from the backH ground by adjustable means, so that the por-l tion providing animation will at all times move freely without interference due to the curvature of the background card.

Other objects relate to various features of construction and arrangement of parts which will be apparent from a consideration of the following specification and accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure l is a perspective view of the interior of a vehicle showing the portion on which advertising cards are most commonly mounted, and further illustrates the curvature of the vehicle at this point, with a series of animated cards mounted in place.

Figure 2 is a front elevation of an advertising card illustrating animation.

Figure 3 is a detail of the moving object.

Figure 4 is a sectional view of Figure 2, on the line 2-2.

Figure 5 is a detail of the assembled operating connections and mechanism.

Figure 6 is a detail of the animation control spring and mounting stud.

Figure '7 is a detail of an optional rivet for securing one end of the spring to the moving object.

(Cl. 40-138) A i y Figure 8 is adetail of the adjustable screwA which holds and carries the moving object.

In the drawing III indicates an advertising card which may be mounted against a surface in the` interior of a vehicle, as shown in Figure 1. Cards 5 of this kind usually carry reading matter accom'- panied by an illustration, as at II, part of which may be animated, as for example the arm'IZ., In j the preferred form of my invention I use a card` on which the illustration is complete and use a 10 replica of, a portion thereof,` asshown by Figure 3, for the purpose of animation.` However, my ,in` vention is not restricted to this manner of use, and the animated portion may be used to complete the illustration. i y

Between the background card and the object to be animated extends the internally threaded stud I3 which receives the screw I4. In the preferred form of my invention the stud and screw are provided with large heads and extend through 20 suitable mounting tabs I5 and I6. Surrounding the stud and screw is a coiled spring Il of a predetermined tension suitable for the object to be animated. One end of the spring is secured ad-4 jacent the head of the stud I3, preferably` 'a.s"25 shown at I8, or in any other suitable manner'. The opposite end of the spring which extends outwardly away from the center may be secured to the tab I6 at some suitable point as at I9, byf means of the rivet 20, or in Aany other suitable 30 manner. This assembled structure formsia complete unit, and the object to be animated isw s ecured to the tab I B, and the whole is then secured 4 to the background by means of the tab I5 at the desired point to complete the illustration,'or to 35 add the animated feature by superimposing it over its complementary portion, It may be readily seen that the tabs I5 and I6 need not be used, and instead the stud, screw and spring may be directly attached to the background and object, 40 however, I prefer to use the form shown so that metal parts are concealed and additional strength given to the assembly.`

As stated in the objects of this invention, thesel advertising cards are very often mounted on curved surfaces, as shown in Figure 1, at which time the card assumes the curved outline as shown dotted in the side view in Figure 4. In order for the object to swing freely it is necessary that it be set away from the background to provide clearance. This is accomplished by means of the stud I3 and screw I2, which may be adjusted to each other prior to aiixing the spring I'I to the point adjacent the head of the stud. It will thus be seen that the stud I3 acts as a means for ad- 55 justment and also as a bearing for the screw I4. This feature provides for great economy and adaptability of a single unit system for providing animation for cards that may be at, or which have varying degrees of curvature, either transversely or longitudinally. It will also be seen that by means of my assembled system the object to be animated will be held on a xed axis or pivot about vwhich it may swing in conformity with the tension of the spring; the tension of the spring being generally determined by the size or weight of the object to be oscillated and the degree of arc it is desired to pass.

It is of course understood that motion or animation is imparted to the device when mounted on the sides of the vehicle, by longitudinal movement or vibration thereof, and when the cards are mounted in the end portionsof the vehicle they receive, in the main, impulses from lateral movement. However, in .a moving vehicle there is generally suicient motion or vibration to operate the device when mounted at any point.

Although I have shown and described certain features of my improvements for the purpose of illustration, it will be apparent to one skilled in the artthat various changes may be made in the details and form of construction without departingY from the spirit of my invention, and therefore, II do not wish to be restricted specifically to be positioned parallel with a concave surface,

amovable element positioned on said background by a pivot, a spring extending from said background` to said element and adapted to impartv ground and a pivot aixed to said element and extending into said bearing stud.

4. In a device of the class described, a background member, an element positioned on said background by longitudinally adjustable pivot means, and a spring adapted to impart oscillatory motion to said element in an arc about said pivot means, said pivot means comprising an internallythreaded stud axed to said background and a pivot screw affixed to said element and extending into said stud.

5i In a device of the class described, a background member, an element positioned on said background and spaced therefrom by longitudinally adjustable pivot means, and a coiled spring adaptedv to impart oscillatory motion to said element, said pivot means comprising a xed bearing and carrying a longitudinally adjustable pivot.

6, In a device of the class described, a background member being normally flat and adapted to be positioned parallel to a concave surface, a bearing member extending out on an axis from said background and carrying a pivot, a movable element secured to said pivot, a spring extending between said background and said movable element and adapted to impart oscillatory motion in an arc, saidpivot being longitudinally adjustable in said bearing member to space said movable element from said background and to allow said element to oscillate freely.

7. In a device f the class' described, a xed background member, an element adapted to lend animation thereto, and .actuatingmeans comprising a bearing stud extending axially from a mounting base secured to said background, a pivot extending into said stud and carrying a mounting base secured to said element, a spring extending from said stud to the mounting base of the pivot and secured thereto at a point away from its center.

8. In a device of the class described, a fixed background member being normally flat and adapted to be'mounted against and conform to the contour of a concave mounting surface, an element adapted to lend animation thereto by oscillating in arc on an axis extending from said background, an internally threaded bearing stud extending axially from a mounting base and afxed tosaid background, a screw pivot extendingintoV said stud and carrying a mounting base secured to said element whereby the element may be spaced from the backgroundV and oscillate freely in relation thereto, and a coiled spring having its inner end secured to the stud and its outer end secured tothe pivot mounting base.

- WILLIAM F. CURRIE. 

